Compact Debug & Trace Probe for Mid‑Range Embedded Systems
BENEFITS
Harness the Power of Debug & Trace
The CombiProbe 2 delivers complete visibility into your embedded system’s runtime behavior. Beyond offering full-featured debugging, it captures real-time system traces and compact parallel flow traces—essential for system profiling and meeting safety certification requirements. This detailed trace recording lets you accelerate time-to-market with increased confidence.
Support for a Wide Range of Architectures and Devices
The CombiProbe 2 is compatible with thousands of devices across leading CPU architectures—including Arm ®/Cortex®, RISC‑V, Infineon TriCore™, Intel x86/x64, dsPIC, MIPS, and more. This extensive support enables seamless transitions between chips and vendors, all while using the same CombiProbe 2 hardware and unified TRACE32® interface.
Debug & Trace Two Multi-Core SoCs Simultaneously
Equipped with dual multipurpose connectors, the CombiProbe 2 allows simultaneous debugging and tracing of two independent multi-core SoCs.
Profile Your AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform
The CombiProbe 2 is the ideal solution for profiling AUTOSAR Adaptive-based operating systems. Paired with Lauterbach’s ARTI kernel driver, it captures detailed task-state information via System Trace Microcell (STM), enabling clear visualizations of runtime statistics and timing charts.
Record Extended Trace Data Seamlessly
Our solution enables continuous long-duration trace recordings to be streamed directly to your host PC for thorough post-analysis. With an average streaming rate of 140 MB/s, data transfers remain smooth and reliable, ensuring no loss of critical information.
Streamline Energy Profiling
Using the CombiProbe 2 in combination with the Mixed-Signal Probe, you can monitor and log your embedded system’s power usage over time. When your SoC supports an appropriate flow trace, this power data can be linked to the program’s execution flow, allowing you to accurately analyze energy consumption and optimize sections of code that use excessive power.
Gain Comprehensive Insight into Your SoC Internals and Externals
When used alongside the Mixed-Signal Probe, the CombiProbe 2 is capable of capturing both analog and digital signals over time, while also decoding protocols transmitted via digital channels. If your SoC supports a compatible flow trace, the recorded data can be synchronized, providing a precise, detailed, and time-aligned overview of the processor’s status along with its input/output signals.
TARGET CONNECTION
Achieve Optimal Target Connection with Your CombiProbe 2
A whisker serves as the physical interface linking your target’s debug and trace port directly to the CombiProbe 2. By placing the whisker’s transceivers close to the target device, it ensures maximum signal integrity and supports the highest data transfer speeds. Each whisker model is precisely designed to meet the specific physical and electrical requirements of the target’s debug and trace ports.
With two versatile connectors, the CombiProbe 2 can simultaneously support two whiskers. This allows you to debug and trace two entirely separate target SoCs at once, while accurately capturing the timing of events occurring both within and between the two devices.
Additionally, one of the multipurpose connectors can be configured with our optional Mixed-Signal Probe. This enhances your trace analysis by incorporating time-synchronized external analog and digital signals, enabling features like energy profiling, communication bus decoding, voltage fluctuation monitoring, and more.
Boost Bandwidth Using AutoFocus Technology
To link your target’s debug and trace port with the CombiProbe, a whisker is required, available in multiple versions tailored to different needs.
The most commonly used whiskers are the MIPI20T-HS and MIPI34 models. Both incorporate our AutoFocus technology, which automatically fine-tunes the sampling point for each individual trace signal. This ensures more dependable trace capture, reducing worries about board routing, impedance issues, and length matching.
MIPI60-Cv2 Whisker
The MIPI60-Cv2 Whisker is designed for debugging Intel® SoCs, featuring a voltage range of 1.0V to 1.8V, 8 HOOK pins, and 2 JTAG ports. It supports all cores within Intel® SoCs. Order number: LA-4571.
MIPI34 Whisker
The MIPI34 Whisker is intended for debugging and system trace through a MIPI-34 connector, supporting flow trace on various Cortex-M and MIPS32 cores. It offers a trace port up to 4 bits wide, with a data rate of 200 Mbit/s per pin and a voltage range from 1.2V to 3.3V, with 5V tolerant inputs. Supported architectures include Arm®, MIPS32®, PIC32, C166, and others. Order number: LA-4505.
MIPI20T-HS Whisker
The MIPI20T-HS Whisker is designed for debugging and system trace via a MIPI-20 connector, supporting flow trace on various Cortex-M and RISC-V cores. It features a trace port up to 4 bits wide, with a data rate of 400 Mbit/s per pin, and supports a voltage range from 1.2V to 5.0V. Compatible architectures include Arm®, RISC-V, Xtensa®, Hexagon, CEVA-X, and more. Order number: LA-4513.
Mixed-Signal Probe
The Mixed-Signal Probe is designed for recording both digital and analog signals, enabling protocol analysis and energy profiling. It features 12 digital channels (0 to 5V), 6 voltage channels (±12V), and 2 current channels via shunt. Order number: LA-2500.
AUTO26 Whisker
The AUTO26 Whisker is designed for debugging and compact function trace with TriCore AURIX™ as well as dual-chip debugging with dsPIC. It features a 2-bit trace port with 160 Mbit/s per pin and supports a voltage range from 1.8V to 5V. Supported architectures include TriCore AURIX™ and dsPIC. Order number: LA-4553.
DCI OOB v2 Whisker
The DCI OOB v2 Whisker is designed for closed chassis debugging using the Intel® Direct Connect Interface (DCI). It features a physical USB 3 connector and operates at a voltage of 1.2V. Supported architectures include Intel® x86, ARC®, Xtensa®, and i8051. Order number: LA-4515.
TYPICAL CONFIGURATIONS
Configuration Example for CombiProbe 2
Debug and Trace of Dual-Chip Arm Cortex-M Processors
Safety-critical applications often use two redundant processors performing identical calculations. If the two embedded systems fail to reach consensus, the system must revert to a safe state. Using a CombiProbe 2 with two Whiskers enables you to develop and debug such systems by capturing the dynamic behavior of both control units, synchronizing event timestamps with a shared clock, and precisely tracking the interaction between the processors.
Recommended Setup: PowerDebug E40, CombiProbe 2, 2 x MIPI20T-HS Whiskers
Debug Intel® CPUs
The MIPI60-Cv2 Whisker for the CombiProbe 2 is specifically engineered to support the Intel® Debug Port Specification. This setup includes hook pins for special functions like stalling execution during reset sequences, supports PMODE packages, and offers enhanced survivability features to manually adjust threshold voltages and slew rates. Additionally, it supports two independent JTAG chains and system trace.
Recommended Setup: PowerDebug E40, CombiProbe 2, MIPI60-Cv2 Whisker
Benefit from RISC-V Compact Trace
While the CombiProbe 2 can debug any RISC-V core, it’s especially powerful when working with SoCs using SiFive RISC-V cores. These typically feature a Nexus trace with a 4-bit Pin Interface Block (PIB), enabling program flow recording over time—ideal for performance profiling and identifying real-time bugs. The CombiProbe 2 is also prepared to support the upcoming N-Trace Specification once it’s finalized by the RISC-V Foundation. Combined with the Mixed-Signal Probe, you can also monitor power consumption and correlate it with program execution to identify energy-intensive code sections.
Recommended Setup: PowerDebug E40, CombiProbe 2, MIPI20T-HS Whisker, Mixed-Signal Probe
Supported Debug Protocols
Achieve maximum performance across all major debug protocols with CombiProbe 2
CoreSight Serial Wire Debug (SWD)
SWD is a 2-pin debug interface developed by Arm®, designed for high-efficiency access to the CoreSight™ debug infrastructure. It offers maximum performance with minimal pin usage, making it ideal for compact embedded systems.
cJTAG (IEEE 1149.7)
Compact JTAG (cJTAG) is a streamlined version of the standard JTAG protocol that reduces the number of required physical pins by serializing communication with the core’s Test Access Points (TAPs). It supports a star topology for connecting multiple chips and helps lower hardware costs, with only a minor trade-off in debug performance.
JTAG (IEEE 1149.1)
JTAG is the standard communication protocol supported by most CPUs. Originally developed for boundary scan testing, it enables external tools to interface with a chip's internal debug system through a Test Access Point (TAP). Multiple TAPs can be connected in a chain, allowing you to debug several cores using a single probe.
New and Emerging Technologies
TRACE32 stays at the cutting edge of debugging solutions, with Lauterbach engineers actively contributing to industry working groups and steering committees in the embedded systems space. Among the latest supported interfaces are SPI Debugging, Debug over USB, Debug over CAN, and Debug over I3C.
Intel® Out Of Band (OOB) Hosting DCI
The Intel® DCI OOB protocol is one method for accessing the Intel® Direct Connect Interface (DCI) to debug Intel® targets. It operates over the USB 3.2 Gen 2×1 port pins and enables early boot access for low-level system debugging.
Infineon DAP
The Infineon Device Access Port (DAP) is a flexible multi-pin debug interface designed for high-speed communication. With built-in CRC6 protection, it offers reliable operation even in noisy environments. DAP supports higher frequencies than JTAG and enables real-time trace data transmission at low to medium bandwidth levels.
SUPPORTED TRACE PROTOCOLS
Compact Trace Solutions for Ambitious Developers
TriCore Compact Function Trace (CFT)
Many TriCore processors feature Compact Function Trace (CFT), delivering detailed information about function entry and exit events. This trace data can be continuously streamed through an Infineon Debug Access Port (DAP) directly to the CombiProbe. Moreover, CFT enables profiling of AUTOSAR Classic operating systems, providing valuable insights for embedded system analysis.
RISC-V Nexus Trace Technology
The Nexus trace protocol (IEEE-ISTO 5001) is a widely adopted embedded debug and trace standard used across numerous CPU manufacturers. It delivers real-time insights into program execution and data access activities. Many RISC-V processors include Nexus trace capabilities, often utilizing compression methods optimized for efficient capture with the CombiProbe 2 tool.
Cortex-M ETM and ITM
The Embedded Trace Macrocell (ETM) delivers real-time trace data for program flow and memory accesses. Many Cortex-M processors feature a 4-bit ETM alongside the CoreSight Instrumentation Trace Macrocell (ITM), enabling the CombiProbe 2 to capture both program and data traces, as well as OS and application-level events.
iFlowtrace™ for MIPS Processors
iFlowtrace™ is a streamlined, instruction-only tracing solution designed for MIPS32® cores including M4K, M14K, and PIC32MX/MZ series. Its compact off-chip trace port is optimized for seamless integration with the CombiProbe 2, enabling efficient and precise trace capture.
MIPI System Trace Protocol (STP)
The MIPI System Trace Protocol (STP) enables high-level analysis of real-time application behavior by capturing system trace messages generated primarily through instrumentation functions embedded in the CPU’s application code. For effective profiling of the AUTOSAR Adaptive Platform, Lauterbach offers a dedicated instrumentation module tailored to this purpose.
ORDER INFORMATION
Sets featuring the CombiProbe
CombiProbe 2 for MIPS32+4-Bit IFLOW...
LA-3082 The LA-3082 CombiProbe 2 enables debugging and tracing of MIPS32 CPUs using 4-bit IFLOW trace It supports 1.2 to 3.3 volts with 5V tolerant inputs and connects to MIPI34 MIPI20T MIPI10 and eJTAG/IFLOW targets providing versatile support for embedded system testing
CombiProbe 2 for MIPI34 (PACK)
LA-3083 The LA-3083 CombiProbe 2 with MIPI34 whisker supports debugging and tracing with a voltage range of 1.2 to 3.3 volts and 5V tolerant inputs It connects to MIPI34 MIPI20T and MIPI10 targets and offers 512 MB trace memory with a 4-pin trace port for high-speed data capture Compatible with TRACE32 software it needs appropriate licenses and works with Power Debug interfaces for reliable embedded system analysis
CombiProbe 2 for AUTO26 (PACK)
LA-3081 The LA-3081 CombiProbe 2 with AUTO26 whisker supports debugging and DAP streaming with DAP2 DAP3 DAP4 and DAPWide protocols as well as JTAG and DXCPL/DXCM interfaces It requires compatible licenses for optimal use and integrates seamlessly with Power Debug interfaces delivering efficient and flexible debug and trace capabilities
CombiProbe 2 for MIPI20T-HS (PACK)
The LA-3080 CombiProbe 2 with MIPI20-HS whisker supports debugging and tracing from 1.2 to 5.0 volts It connects to MIPI20T and MIPI10 targets with 512 MB trace memory and a 4-pin trace port TRACE32 software is included and compatible licenses are required Additional licenses enable advanced Cortex-A/R and RISC-V tracing It works with Power Debug interfaces and can be extended with a Mixed-Signal Probe for digital and analog capture
